Which side of the plane to sit on: Istanbul to San Francisco?
Flying from Istanbul to San Francisco? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.
The best window changes along the way.
Confidence: lowTakeoff views
9:08 AMClimbing out of Istanbul toward the northwest over the Black Sea, the right window looks out over the Katırlı Dağları and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Istranca and the Çatalca Peninsula on the left.
- leftView of Istranca (mountain range)
- rightView of Katırlı Dağları (mountain range)
- rightView of the Black Sea coastline
- leftView of Çatalca Peninsula (peninsula coastline)
Flight path features
3:55 PMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Svydovets, Malbork Castle and Southern Öland cultural landscape (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Greenhorn Mountains on the right.
- leftView of Svydovets (mountain range)
- rightView of Greenhorn Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Malbork Castle (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Southern Öland cultural landscape (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
12:43 PMDescending into San Francisco from the north, the right window looks out over the Campbell Hills, the Vaca Mountains and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Niles Canyon on the left.
- rightView of Campbell Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Vaca Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (the red bridge and the bay)
- leftView of Niles Canyon (deep canyon)
Good to know
- Based on the geometric great-circle route; real flight paths can differ with air-traffic routing and winds.
- "Left/right" means facing the direction of travel. Left is the seat A side, right is the F/K side (varies by aircraft).
- Glare advice assumes you want clear ground views; flip it if you'd rather watch the sunrise/sunset directly.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Istanbul to San Francisco?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Svydovets, Malbork Castle and Southern Öland cultural landscape (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Greenhorn Mountains on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Istanbul?
Climbing out of Istanbul toward the northwest over the Black Sea, the right window looks out over the Katırlı Dağları and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Istranca and the Çatalca Peninsula on the left.
What about on the descent into San Francisco?
Descending into San Francisco from the north, the right window looks out over the Campbell Hills, the Vaca Mountains and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Niles Canyon on the left.